Monday, June 14, 2010

Illustration... {Book Worm}

I thought this post from etsy's blog, was fascinating. The job of an illustrator must be a tough one. They must take the vision of the author, the sales focus of the publisher and the meaning of the book and create something that is both eye catching, and representative of the above parties.

I have a list of favorite authors but would be hard pressed to create a list of illustrators. Its a shame because the cover is the first thing you think of when someone mentions a book you've read. I would even go as far to say that if I don't know the author I will choose books based on the cover illustration and the title first, and the blurb second. The blurb is the defining factor in the choice but I wouldn't even pick up a book if the cover doesn't look to be 'my taste'. It got me thinking of the under appreciated role of illustrators. And in my research I discovered that Quentin Blake (the one illustrator I can name, due to his quintessential partnership with Roald Dahl) is working to change all this with the founding of the House of Illustration in the UK.